The
Process Of Building New Schools
Under
Proposition MM, San
Diego City Schools plans to build 12 new and three rebuilt schools to
alleviate overcrowding
in the city's most densely populated and rapidly growing areas. The
American
Planning Association (San Diego) recently gave the school district a
first
place award, recognizing the effective methods used to engage community
members in planning new schools.
Here
is a simplified
overview of the new school process:
Initial community
outreach (6 months)
The
school
district works with various community groups to identify potential
sites
within the area where the new school is needed. Several factors are
considered,
including proximity to parks or libraries, opportunities for joint use
with the City and the community's existing development plans.
Environmental
review (12-24 months)
The
school
district prepares an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The report
examines
environmental issues associated with building a school on each
potential
site, from traffic congestion to endangerment of protected species. The
district gets feedback on site selection from community planning
groups,
meets with the community, then makes a final site selection
recommendation
to the Board of Education.
Property
acquisition, relocation, demolition (12-24 months)
Once
the site
is approved, the school district begins to acquire property, relocate
residents
and demolish and remove buildings. The district holds community
meetings,
retains a relocation consultant and develops a relocation plan to
ensure
that residents receive all relocation assistance and benefits in
accordance
with state law. Such benefits can include: housing referrals, rental or
down payment assistance to alleviate financial hardship, moving
expenses,
coordination with housing assistance programs, etc. As residents
relocate,
demolition begins.
Post-demolition
(6 months)
As
structures
are demolished, the school district is required to verify that the
project
site is lead- and asbestos-free.
Design Task
Force
Community
involvement
continues after land acquisition and demolition. The school district
works
with the community to name the new school. Then community members,
teachers,
parents, students, district staff and an architect join in a Design
Task
Force to design the new school.
Construction
(15-18 months)
How
We Name New Schools
The
district's
School Names Committee, comprised of community members and district
employees,
oversees the naming of all new or existing schools, facilities, fields,
etc. Anyone can submit a name suggestion. The Committee reviews and
votes
on those suggestions. All name suggestions must then be approved by the
Board of Education. Read the fact
sheet to
understand the process.
Several
more
Proposition MM schools remain to be named. If you have a school name
suggestion
or questions about the process, review Procedure
3300 or contact Janet Delaney, Director of Community Relations, at
(619) 725-5593 or jdelaney@sandi.net.
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